1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device and method for converting a product-specific identification number to an industry standard identification number. More specifically, the invention relates to a device and method for converting a bar code displayed on a package for pharmaceuticals into a standardized code which is known throughout the pharmaceutical industry.
2. Description of Related Art
Universal Product Code (UPC) symbols are displayed on a myriad of products throughout the country. Often, the UPC symbol is displayed in a "bar code" format, whereby an intermittent pattern of alternating black and white vertical lines of varying widths signifies a string of alphanumeric characters. Bar codes serve as a language which functions to place the string of characters into a machine-readable form. In addition, bar codes have a number of formats which typically must be determined before a machine can read a bar code. FIG. 1 shows examples of different types of bar codes with the generally-accepted name of the type of bar code shown directly above the bar code.
UPC symbols, in the form of bar codes, are commonly displayed on all kinds of products, including those in the pharmaceutical industry such as medicine containers. FIGS. 2-5 show examples of medicine containers which have been provided with UPC symbols by a product source, such as a manufacturer or distributor. FIG. 2 shows a bottle 10 having a label 12 provided with bar code indicia 14 thereon. FIG. 3 shows a box 16 having a sidewall 18 provided with bar code indicia 20 thereon. FIG. 4 shows a shrink wrapped package 22 of multiple bottles 10 having an upper surface 24 on which a label 26 provided with bar code indicia 28 thereon has been affixed. FIG. 5 shows a carton 30 having a label 32 provided with bar code indicia 34 thereon.
Bar codes are typically read by a device called a "scanner." An example of a system which includes a scanner is shown in FIG. 6. The system, shown generally by reference numeral 36, comprises a computer 38 and a scanner 40 interconnected by a conduit 42. The computer 38 generally comprises a processing unit 44, a keyboard 46 and a monitor 48. It will be understood that the monitor 48 and the processing unit 44 are interconnected in a manner well known in the art. The conduit 42 comprises a Y-shaped cable having first, second and third portions 50, 52 and 54, respectively, each provided with a suitable connector 56 at a distal end.
The scanner 40 is typically interconnected intermediate the keyboard 46 and the processing unit 44 by the conduit 42. For example, the connector 56 on the first portion 50 is interconnected to a suitable socket (not shown) on the scanner 40. The connector 56 on the second portion 52 is interconnected to a suitable socket 58 on the keyboard 46. The connector 56 of the third portion 54 is interconnected to a suitable socket (not shown) on the processing unit 44.
Thus, signals can be provided to the processing unit 44 by either the keyboard 46 through the portions 50-54 or by the scanner 40 through the portions 50 and 54. FIG. 7 shows the operation of the scanner 40. The scanner 40 typically includes an illumination-emitting device therein, such as a laser or intense light, which is actuatable by a trigger (not shown). When the trigger is depressed, a beam 60 is oscillated across a bar code 62 desired to be read. The bar code 62 is converted to an alphanumeric signal by the scanner 40 and sent through the conduit 42 to the processing unit 44. Because the scanner 40 is interconnected intermediate the keyboard 46 and the processing unit 44 and is able to generate alphanumeric characters, the scanner 40 acts as a "second keyboard," providing alphanumeric input to the processing unit 44.
As shown in FIGS. 2-5, bar codes in the form of UPC symbols are marked on packaging for medicine and other pharmaceuticals. With continuing pressure to reduce health care costs there is a need to use technology to improve the quality and accuracy of pharmaceutical distribution. The National Drug Code (NDC) was developed as a universal identification system for pharmaceutical products distributed in the U.S. Since 1969, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that all drug products be identified clearly with the NDC, which provides pharmaceutical products with a unique all-numeric system identifying the pharmaceutical source, product and package size. Because the industry uses the NDC to order, track and report on pharmaceutical products, bar coding of this number has provided a faster and more accurate way to move both products and information.
The NDC for prescription pharmaceuticals is the single basic identifier for all forms of pharmaceutical products in the health industry. Pharmacy computer systems, third-party prescription claims processing, and sale tracking, reporting and industry support services typically use the NDC to identify, describe and pay for pharmaceutical services. For pharmacy providers, legislation now mandates the use of the NDC for all Medicaid claims. The Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration require monthly reporting of all incoming and outgoing controlled substance transactions and inventories on a system which mandates use of NDC numbers. From drug manufacturer to wholesaler to drug provider, computer systems are often required to depend on NDC numbers for identifying what is being ordered, paid, returned and credited. It is a proven method of enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of pharmaceutical distribution.
The NDC, by federal regulation, is a 10-digit numeric code preceded with the letter N or letters NDC. It consists of three numeric fields of information: a source identification field, a product identification field, and a trade package field. The FDA assigns the labeler portion of the code, while the labeler assigns the product identification and trade package portions according to format standards.
The FDA originally assigned the source identification field as four digits. starting at 0002. The system was designed not to exceed a source identification field of 0999. When it became apparent to the FDA that the number of product sources applying for labeler codes would exceed 0999, they reformatted the source I.D. field to comprise a five-digit numeric field beginning with 10000.
The product identification and trade package fields together comprise five digits, with the product identification field being three or four digits and the trade package field being two or one.
The NDC is presented in one of three formats: 4-4-2,5-3-2 or 5-4-1 referred to in order of the above-identified three fields. The first field of four or five numbers corresponds to the source identification field. The next field of three or four numbers corresponds to the product identification field. The final field of one or two numbers corresponds to the trade package field.
Whenever an NDC is printed, all leading, imbedded and trailing zeros must be included. Each of the three fields are typically separated by a hyphen when printed in a human readable form, for example, 51999-432-10 for a 5-3-2 NDC number.
In their catalogs and on price lists, manufacturers and labelers are encouraged to include NDC numbers for each listed item. Labelers are typically urged to discontinue use of internal or traditional list, order or product numbers, as these identifiers are not generic to the pharmaceutical industry.
Because the NDC is the single basic means of product identification for all pharmaceutical products, it is desirable to have the NDC numbers encoded into a bar code and labeled onto products. Therefor, drug manufacturers and labelers are urged to identify their drug products with an NDC and to encode this number in bar code formats. However, there are many different bar code types as shown by example in FIG. 1 and a growing number of applications for each. Problems have arisen in that the various bar code types have different character lengths which do not correspond to the ten-digit NDC number.